Gate-latch.



H. T. WILKES.

GATE LATCH. APPLIOATIONTILBD APB. s, 1911.

1,028,646. I Patented June 4,1912.

3mm/Moa Hardy. T.' Wil/:fes

15 vided with .20, of `the gate.

' 30 views -Figure j 35 member, the latch 50`flush with the upper sur 55 rear of the member L STATES-PATENT orrrcn. l

HARDY "r; minis, or G GATE-LATCH.

f. Application led Apri1`8,

specificatin 'or Letters raient. I

i911. serial m. 619,810.

v rnonrDA, vAssreiaon. or aim-HALF rro '5. n.' Berner oLUsrEE, FLORIDA. v

To all whom it may-concern: y Be it known 'that I, HARDY-T. Winans,- a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Madison and 5 State ofFlorida, have invented n ew and useful Improvements in Gate-Latches, .of which the following is'a specification.

This invention relates to gate latches, and the objects are to,v provide a simple device of this character 'including a gravity controlled latch member and "a support therefor, the support `being designed'for attachment to a fence post or other stationary object adjacent to theigate and being promeans for movably supporting 'the latch member and yfor holding the same with a portion exposed -for manualmanipulation so as to permitgthe latch member tobe readily disengaged from the keeper plate Another object o f the invention is to provide in the support means for causmg posi- 'I tive movement of the latch member and to prevent the samefrom binding in the support when the member is engaged by the gate onthe'closing movementI thereof.

40 with a screw`2 whichv 1s embedded in the post A'of the fence structure shown. The supportextends outwardly at right angles .to the post, and as illustrated, it is provided with parallel longitudinal port-ions 3 whichV are connected with each other at their outer vends, at 4. The members are also connected with each other by a horizontally disposed longitudinally combined stock and fulcrum member '5, the upper surface of which being faces o the side members 3 fora purpose to be hereinafter described. The member 5 of the support'is formed at its outer end with a downwardly and forwardly curved bearing surface 6, the being provided with a Y member `5.

the former being positioned with' respect to the portion 8 of the support and the sides fthereof so as to form therewith an intervening relatively long passage 9. The surface 6 is positioned with respect to the .portion 4 of the support and the sides 3 thereof so as to form therewith an intervening relatively short passage 10. 'The movable keeper element comprises aring llrwhich is .convlined between the portions 3 ofthe support,

being positioned therebetween and'normally supported by the member 'ofthe support,

itl being understood that under the' weight of the ring llit will normally assume a locked position, themajor portion ofv the ring being disposed below the plane of the support so as to provide a peripheral contacting surface below the plane'of the surface G of the The gate B carries a latch pla-te 12. This plate "has one of itsv ends extended beyond one side of the gate Aand positioned with respect to the ring 1.1 so that the latter forms an obstruction. Incident. to the fact. that the ring llgravitates to normally assume the Ifull line position shown in Fig. 2, the pe- Patented June 4, v19172.

similar but rearwardly extending surface 7 ripheral contacting surface of the ring at a point below the bearing surface 6 of the member 5 will be engaged by the latch plate of the gate, such engagement being sutlicient to cause the inner wallsof the member 5 to engage against the'bearing. surface 6 so that the latter will operate asa fulcrum, the impact of the gate against the ring causing the latter to be moved upwardly to the dotted line position shown in Fig. 2. After the keeper member has passed entirely beneaththe ring 1l and disengaged therefrom the ring will fall by gravity to the full line position shown in Fig. 1 of the drawing, whereupon, the latch plate will have its opposite surface engaged with the peripheral surface of the ring 11 as will be understood.' In this Aposition of the ring 11 and the latch ico plate 1 2-the gate will be held against vmovement 1n one direction. member. 5 with. the plurality of surfaces v( and 7 they are engaged with the inner walls of the ring 11 so as to hold the ring 1n a position where the uppermost portion' of the opening will be exposed, as at C in Fig. 2, so as to perm't the insertion of the linger Byproviding the thereirito Vwhen it is desired to lift the ring to its released position from the latch plate.

i I claini:- Y'

a latch of the class described, a latch r vplate-secured "to the gate,y a gravity closing ring,`aJ support for the ring, said support; comprisino' spaced parallel side 'members beingforme at'their'center to provide a. `hori-l zontally disposed longitudinal 'fulcrum mem? said. surfaces being further adapted to support the ring so as to expose the uppermost:l

be inserted betweenftlie ring vand said-mem-- ber substantlally asand for the purposel described. t In test-imon WhereofI ailix my signature 1n presence o two witnesses'. v

p HARDY T. WILKES. Witnesses: v l

M. A. MoDowEL'L, A. J. PE'r'rIs. 

